By Victoria Ahearn
Bell Media has landed exclusive broadcast rights to the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards.
CTV will air the 41st annual CCMA Awards on Sept. 16 under a broadcast and content partnership that begins this summer and continues through Country Music Week 2023 from Sept. 14 to 16 in Hamilton, Ont., according to a news release.
The CCMA Awards previously aired on Global under a multi-year broadcast partnership with Corus that began in 2019.
The Bell Media deal will see the Country Music Week festival and industry conference events programmed over three days, as well as fan experiences and a contest to send listeners to the show through iHeartRadio Canada’s Pure Country.
The big show will continued to have TD as its presenting sponsor. Other sponsors this year include Rogers, SiriusXM, Amazon Music and Bell Media-owned radio station Pure Country.
In addition to the TV broadcast, the awards will also be available on CTV.ca and the CTV app. Multi-platform coverage and content will also featured on other broadcast, radio, digital, and social media properties including, CTV Your Morning, ETalk, iHeartRadio Canada’s Pure Country, MuchMusic and The Social.
The first round of performers, revealed Tuesday, include Dean Brody (pictured), Carly Pearce, The Reklaws and Josh Ross.
“Bell Media has demonstrated such a passion for our genre, the country music community, and our awards show property, which both impacts and aligns with our dedication and commitment to entertain, celebrate, and innovate for our audience,” said Amy Jeninga, president, CCMA, in a statement.
“As we continue to evolve the CCMA Awards year over year from a stand-alone broadcast into a brand and media property that elevates and supports country music throughout the year, Bell Media’s enthusiasm and support across all of their platforms nationally, while sharing our vision is incredibly exciting for us.”
Photo: Dean Brody performs during the 2019 Canadian Country Music Awards at Scotiabank Saddledome on September 8, 2019 in Calgary, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)
A version of this story previously appeared on Playback.
